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jlivIJLIwOJL]sz[jltion: 


AT  THE 


Ontario  Mill 

coiwIfaeled  with 

The  RUSSELL  PROCESS 


AT  THE 


Marsac  Mill. 


Comparison  with  Smelting, 


BY 


W.  G.XAMB, 


F^RK    Cl^Y,    UXAH, 
Oeoenaber  1,  1802. 


Reprinted,  and  Extended,  from  the 

Engineering  and  Mining  JournUi 


>b   6H^h 


COIvIFJLniSOK 

BETWEEN  THE 

Amalgamation  Process  at  the  Ontario  Mill 


AND  THE 


Russell  Process  at  the  Marsac  Mill. 

1891-1893. 


By  W.  G.  Lamb,  Superintendent  of  Marsac  Leaching  Department. 


In  a  preceding  pamphlet  by  Mr.  W.  A.  Wilson  has  been 
given  a  comparison  of  Amalgamation  at  the  Ontario,  with  the 
Russell  procjpss  at  the  Marsac  Mill  (Daly  Mining  Co. ,  Park  City, 
Utah,)  for  the  first  three  months  of  1891. 

The  object  of  the  following  pages  is  to  continue  the  com- 
parison for  the  whole  year,  and  to  present  statistics  on  points 
not  covered  in  previous  publications. 

The  Russell  process  has  now  been  in  continuous  use  at  the 
Marsac  for  nearly  four  years,  starting  Jan.  1,  1889,  running  con- 
tinuously during  that  year  in  competition  with  amalgama|;ion, 
the  ore  treated  being  divided  between  the  two  processes,  and 
finally  superseding  amalgamation  at  the  end  of  that  year. 

The  amalgamation  statistics  here  given  are  from  the  On- 
tario Mill,  located  in  the  same  camp.  In  that  mill  amalgama- 
tion has  been  in  continuous  use  since  its  start  in  January,  1877. 

From  th^ir  long  experience  with  it — fifteen  years — the  On- 
tario obtains  as  good  results  by  this  process  as  are  possible. 

As  the  cost  of  labor,  fuel  and  supplies  are  the  same  for  the 
two  mills,  a  comparison  of  statistics  is  of  value  in  determining 
the  general  efficiency  and  economy  of  the  two  processes.     The 


L3' 


2  THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS. 

figures  here  given  are  taken  from  the  books  and  reports  of  the 
two  companies,  and  are  published  by  permission  of  the 
managements. 

The  properties  of  the  two  companies  adjoin  and  are  on  the 
same  vein. 

The  equipment  of  the  two  mills  and  mill  men  employed,  is 

as  follows  : 

STATEMENT  A. 

ONTARIO.  MARSAC. 

2  Rock  Crushers,  1  Rock  Crusher, 

2  Rotary  Driers,  2  Rotary  Driers, 

40  Ore  Stamps,  30  Ore  Stamps, 
10  Salt  Stamps,  5  Salt  Stamps, 

2  Stetefeldt  Furnaces,  1  Stetefeldt  Furnace, 

24  Pans,  6  16 ^ft.  Ore  Vats, 

12  Settlers,  8  9-ft.  Precipitating  Tanks. 

71  Mill  Men.  51  Mill  Men. 

The  Ontario  Mill  treats  only  the  ore  from  the  Ontario 
Mine,  and  the  Marsac  only  ore  from  the  Daly  Mine. 

The  analyses  and  values  of  the  ore  treated  at  the  Ontario 
and  Marsac  Mills  for  1891,  are  as  follows,  the  samples  on  which 
these  analyses  were  made  being  composed  of  all  the  battery 
samples  taken  each  day  during  the  entire  year: 

STATEMENT  B. 

ONTARIO.  MARSAC. 

Per  cent.  Per  cent. 

Silica 75.0  76.60 

Zinc 5.73  5.30 

Lead 1.80  3.50 

Iron 2.80  1.65 

Sulphur 2.23  0.70 

Lime  (CaO.) 1.76  1.32 

Magnesia  (Mg  O.) -  0.23  trace 

Copper U.29  0.39 

Ozs.  Ozs. 

Silver 39.50  39.10 

Gold ($0.91)     0.044    (fO.91)    0.044 

These  two  ores  are  practically  the  same,  both  in  composi- 
tion and  value. 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS.  *  3 

The  statistics  which  will  be  here  given  on  the  Ontario  and 
Marsac  Mills,  refer,  of  course,  only  to  the  comparative  efficiency 
of  Amalgamation  and  the  Russell  process.  But  the  question  has 
been  asked  w^hy  these  ores  are  not  sold  to  the  smelters  instead  of 
being  milled. 

To  sell  the  ore  (which  is  milled  at  the  Marsac)  to  the 
smelters  would  result  as  follows  : 

The  expenses  of  the  Daly  Mining  Co.  for  the  above  year 
(1891)  are  : 

STATEMENT  C. 

Extraction  (Mining) $6.52 

Prospecting 1.65 

Hauling  to  Mill 0.83 

Milling , 6.27 

Sundries 0.96 

Making  a  total  of $16.23 

With  the  exception  of  ' '  milling  "  and  ' '  hauling  to  mill, " 
these  expenses,  if  the  ores  w^ere  sold  to  smelters  instead  of 
milled,  would  stiU  continue.  Deducting  these  two  items,  the 
expenses  are  $9.13. 

On  the  other  hand,  with  silver  at  83  cents  per  ounce,  and 
lead  at  $4. 00,  the  highest  price  offered  by  the  Salt  Lake,  Kan- 
sas City,  Leadville  and  Denver  smelters,  for  ore  of  the  above 
analysis,  39.10  ounces  per  ton  in  silver  and  91  cents  gold,  is 
$14.06  f.  o.  b.  at  Park  City,  the  seller  to  pay  hauling  to  sam- 
pler, and  all  sampling  and  shipping  charges,  amounting  to 
$2.68  net  per  ton  of  ore. 

The  total  expense  incurred,  therefore,  by  the  Daly  Com- 
pany before  the  ore  can  be  sold  to  the  Smelters  is  $11.81  per 
ton;  the  price  offered  being  $14.06,  there  w^ould  be  a  net  profit 
on  each  ton  sold  to  the  smelters  of  $2. 25.  But  by  milling,  after 
deducting  all  mining,  prospecting,  hauling,  milhng,  sundry  and 
product  expenses,  the  net  profit  per  ton  on  the  same  ore 
is  $12.88,  making  the  net  difference  between  smelting 
and  milling  $10,63  per  ton,  or,  on  24,214  tons  per  year,  a 
difference  in  favor  of  the  latter  of  $257,394.82. 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS. 


To  return  to  the  comparison  of  Ontario  and  Marsac. 
following  table  gives  the  crushing  statistics  for  1891  : 


The 


TABL.E  I. 

AMOUNT  OF  ORE,  TIME  ON  BATTERY,  MESH  OF  SCREEN, 
RATE  OF  CRUSHING. 

1891. 


MILL. 

Ore 

Time 
Battery  Run 

Mesh  of 
Screen 

Rate  of 

Crushing 
per  day 

Rate  of 

Crushing 

per  stamp 

per  day 

Tons 

Days. 

Mesh. 

Tons. 

Tons. 

Oktario,    | 
40  Stamps  ( 

Marsac,    I 
30  Stamps  f 

25,650 
24,214 

341.8 
347.0 

26 
20 

75.0 
70.0 

1.87 
2.33 

The  above  difference  in  rate  of  crushing  per  stamp  is  prob- 
ably not  due  entirely  to  difference  in  mesh  of  screen,  as  Ontario 
ore  may  not  crush  as  fast  as  Daly,  even  in  the  same  battery 
and  with  same  mesh  of  screen,  owdng  to  less  dryness,  or  tem- 
perature, of  the  ore  as  it  goes  to  the  battery  from  the  dryers. 

Table  II — This  gives  the  comparative  fineness  and  baseness 
of  the  product  for  1891,  as  shipped  from  the  Ontario  and  Mar- 
sac Mills,  the  product  of  the  Ontario  being  bars  of  bullion,  and 
that  of  the  Marsac  dried  sulphides,  the  form  in  which  all  Mar- 
sac  products  were  shipped  during  1891. 

TABL.E  II. 

FINENESS  AND  BASENESS  OF  PRODUCT. 
1891. 


SILVER. 

GOLD. 

COPPER. 

Fineness  of  Product. 

Fineness  of  Product. 

Baseness  of  Product. 

Ontario. 

Marsac. 

Ontario. 

Marsac. 

Ontario. 

Marsac. 

Fine. 

Fine. 

Fine. 

.425 

.313 

.00025 

.00026 

.575 

.153 

The  figures  given  for  the  Marsac  represent  the  average 
dried  precipitates  from  the  wash  water  and  leaching  solutions, 
excepting  the  lead  carbonate  product. 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS.  5 

The  distribution  of  the  silver  in  the  products  for  1891  was 

as  follows: 

STATEMENT  D. 

Base  Sulphides— from  Wash  Water 11.63  per  cent. 

Regular    '*       — Ordinary  and  Extra  Solution 85.55  per  cent. 

Lead  Carbonate         *'  "  "        1.71  per  cent, 

Mill  Cleanings— under  filters  and  in  launders 1.11  per  cent. 

The  large  amount,  1 1.63  per  cent,  of  silver  product  as  wash 
water  precipitate,  is  caused  by  precipitating  the  weak  hyposul- 
phite solution  in  same  tanks  with  the  wash  water. 

The  wash  water  product  assays  per  ton  3957.0  ozs.  silver 
and  ;^  5  8. 44  gold.  The  regular  sulphides  from  leaching  solutions 
assay  from  7150.0  ozs.  to  1 1420.0  ozs. — averaging  9815.0  ozs. 
silver  per  ton  for  year  1891,  and  ;^i  87. 00  gold. 

During  the  present  year,  1892,  all  the  lead  has  been  pre- 
cipitated by  soda  ash,  making  the  average  value  of  regular  sul- 
phides in  silver  1 1527.0  ozs.,  and  ^246.00  in  gold,  or  again  of 
1 7/4  P^^  cent,  in  fineness  of  sulphides,  due  to  the  precipita- 
tion of  the  lead  by  itself  by  soda  ash.  For  reasons  connected  with 
the  chemical  reactions  in  the  refining  of  the  product,  also,  it  is 
essential  that  lead  should  be  kept  out  of  the  sulphides,  thus 
necessitating  the  use  of  soda  ash  as  a  precipitant  for  the  lead. 

An  analysis,  by  Stallman,  of  an  average  lot  of  dried  sul- 
phides, is  as  follows : 

Copper 21.60  per  cent. 

Sulphur : 24.83 

Iron 0.75 

Alumina 0.25        " 

Arsenic trace 

Antimony 0.18  per  cent. 

Silica 0.25 

Lead 0.50        *' 

Silver 34.78        *' 

Gold 0.03 

Soluble  in  water : 12.76        •' 

The  lead  carbonate  assays  30  per  cent.  Lead,  so  far  for  1 892. 
Table  III  gives  the  comparison  of  [fineness  of  product  in 
silver  for  1891-1892. 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS. 


TABI.E  III. 

COMPARISON  OF  FINENESS  OF  PRODUCT  IN  SILVER,  ETC. 

1891-1892. 


1 

Year. 

Ontario 
Bullion. 

Marsac 
"Regular" 

dried 
Sulphides. 

Marsac 

Total 

dried 

Sulphides. 

Marsac 
Bullion. 

Cost  of  market- 
ing product 

peroz.of  silver 
produced. 

Price 
obtained 
per  ounce 
for  silver. 

Fine. 

Fine. 

Fine. 

Fine. 

Cts. 

$ 

Ontario 
3.47 

Marsac 

Ontario 

Marsac 
0.9700 

1891 
1892 

.425 
.380 

.337 
.395 

.313 
.351 

No 

Sulphides 

refined 

at  Mill. 

.923 

3.45 

0.9755 

The  figures  given  for  1892  are  up  to  Sept.  ist.  During 
1 89 1  all  the  product  of  the  Marsac  Mill  was  shipped  in  the 
dried  state.  The  ' '  regular  "  sulphides  referred  to  are  the  pre- 
cipitates from  the  ' '  ordinary  "  and  ' '  extra  solutions. " 

The  ' '  total  "  sulphides  include  the  ' '  wash  water  precipi- 
tate "  also. 

During  1893  all  the  gold  and  silver  in  Marsac  sulphides 
will  be  parted  and  refined  at  the  mill  by  a  new  wet  process. 
According  to  the  terms  of  the  contract  which  has  been  made, 
the  full  corrected  assay  value  of  the  sulphides  produced  at  the 
mill,  is  to  be  returned  as  silver  bullion  998,  and  gold  bullion 
995  fine,  which  can  be  shipped  directly  to  the  mint,  requiring 
no  further  treatment.  The  total  cost,  according  to  the  contract, 
is  to  be  I ){  cents  per  ounce  of  silver  treated. 

By  the  term  ' '  full  corrected  assay  value, "  or  ' '  exact 
assay, "  is  meant  the  assay  value  of  the  sulphides,  as  determined 
by  the  best  method  of  fire  assaying,  plus  the  silver  (and  gold) 
found  by  assaying  the  slag  and  cupel,  which  may  be  called  the 
by  products  of  the  assay,  and  which  contain,  on  an  average,  1.3 
per  cent,  of  the  full  value  of  the  sulphides. 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS. 


The  following  table  gives  the  fineness  of  products  in  gold 
for  1 89 1  and  1892. 

TABLE  ly. 

FINENESS  OF  PRODUCTS  IN  GOLD. 

1891-1892. 


Year. 

Ontario 
Bullion. 

Marsac 
"Regular" 
Sulphides. 

Marsac 

Total 

Sulphides. 

Marsac 
Bullion. 

Net  price 

obtained 

per  ounce 

for  gold. 

Fine. 

Fine. 

Fine. 

Fine. 

$ 

Ontario 

0.00 
20.67 

Marsac 

1891 
1892 

.00025 
.00023 

.00034 
.00041 

.00026 
.00032 

No  Sulphides 
refined 
at  Mill. 

.00097 

20.00 
20.67 

The  table  for  1892  goes  up  to  Sept.  first  only.  Both  of 
the  above  products  of  the  Marsac  are  finer  in  gold  than  the 
bullion  of  the  Ontario. 

Table  Y  covers  only  the  year  of  189 1,  as  no  comparisons 
are  made  on  these  points,  except  at  the  end  of  the  year,  and, 

892. 


therefore,  can  not  now  be  given  for 


TABL.E  V. 

WATER,  CHEMICALS,  IRON  AND  POWER. 
1891. 


Water  used 
per  ton. 

Total 

Chemicals  and 

quicksilver 

per  ton. 

Wrought  and 
cast  iron   con- 
sumed per 
ton. 

Power  for  driv- 
ing' pans,   stir- 
ring&handling 
solution,  press- 
ing and  grind- 
ing product. 

Machinery 
Expense. 

Ontario.      Marsac 

Ontario.  1  Marsac. 

Ontario.    Marsac. 

Ontario.           Marsac. 

Ontario.  1  Marsac, 

Cubic  feet. 

$. 

lbs. 

H.  P. 

$ 

400 

56 

1.315 

0.900 

5.5       0.05 

108 

8 

0.31 

1 
0.07 

The  figures  given  on  consumption  of  iron  represent  the 
amount  actually  consumed,  i.  e.,  the  amount  purchased,  less  the 
amount  sold  as  ' '  scrap  "  to  foundries  and  smelters. 

The  amount  of  w^ater  given  for  Marsac  includes  that  used 
for  sluicing  out  tailings,  which  is  about  1 6  cubic  feet  per  ton 
of  ore. 


8  THE, RUSSELL    PROCESS. 

The  cost  of  chemicals  per  ton  of  ore  for  1890  was  ;$o.658, 
and  for  1891  ;^o.825,  an  increase  per  ton  of  $0.16'/, 

This  increase  is  due  to  use  of  warm  sohitions  and  baser  ore. 
A  comparison  of  results  is  of  interest. 

STATEMENT  E. 

1890  Value  of  ore 37.31  ozs. 

1891  "  "   39.10  ozs. 

1890  Mill  Extraction,  cold  solution,  50°  F 88.77  per  cent. 

1891  "  "  warm  solution,  100°  F 91.57  per  cent. 

1890  Cost  of  chemicals,  per  ton  of  ore $0,658 

1891  *'  "  "  "    $0,825 

T4BL.E  VI. 

COMPAEISON  OF  CHEMICALS  CONSUMED  AT  MARSAC  MILL 

WITH  COLD  (50°)  AND  WARM  (100°)  SOLUTION. 

1890—1891. 


Year. 

Solution 
how  used. 

Chemicals 

consumed 

per  ton 

of  ore. 

Cost  of 

chemicals 

per  ton 

of  ore. 

Chemicals 
per  oz.  of 

silver 
produced 

Cost  of 
chemicals 
per  oz.  of 

silver 
produced. 

Silver 

value  of 

ore  treated. 

Actual 

extraction 

based  on 

raw  ore 

value 

0.  Fah. 

lbs. 

$ 

lbs. 

$ 

oz. 

per  cent. 

1890 
1891 

Cold  (50  F)     13.51 
Wam(lOOF)      18.75 

0.658 
0.825 

.424         0.0175 
.521         0.0229 

37.31 
39.10 

88.77 
91.57 

Note. — The  cost  of  Marsac  chemicals  in  Table  V  is  for  total  mill 
chemicals,  of  which  only  $0,825  belongs  to  the  leaching  department. 

The  above  figures  show  a  gain  of  2.8-10  per  cent,  in  ex- 
traction for  1 89 1,  with  warm  solutions,  over  1890,  when  cold 
solutions  were  used,  amounting  to  1.095  oz.  per  ton  of  ore. 

STATEMENT  F. 

24,214  tons  treated  at  1.095  oz.  additional  extraction 26,514.33  ozs. 

Less  extra  cost  of  chemicals  per  ton  of  ore $0,167 

"      "        "      "  steam  for  heating  solution 0.02 

Total  extra  cost  per  ton !5l0.187 

Making  total  extra  cost  for  year %       4528.01 


26,514.33  ozs.  silver  at  average  value  97c $    25,718.90 

Total  extra  cost  for  year. 4,528.01 


Net  gain  for  year $    21,190.89 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS.  9 

The  total  cost  of  all  steam  to  leaching  department  is  $o.  1 297 
per  ton  of  ore.      This  includes  steam  for — 

Air  compressor,  which  supplies  air  for  stirring  wash- 
water  and  solutions. 

Elevating  solution  to  storage  tanks,  and  pressure  tank 
for  pressing  all  products. 

Heating  all  solutions  and  wash  water. 

Dissolving  caustic  soda  in  making  sodium  sulphide. 

Ejectors  for  leaching  vats. 

Ejectors  for  filtered  solution. 

Engine  for  precipitate  grinder. 
The   cost    of  heating  solutions  is  not  over  ^0.02  per  ton  of 
ore. 

Tables  VII  and  VIII. — ^These  give  comparative  figures,  by 
months,  between  amalgamation  at  the  Ontario,  and  the  Eussell 
process  attheMarsac,  for  1891,  using  warm  solutions.  Coarser 
crushing  could  probably  be  adopted  at  the  Marsac  w^ithout  de- 
creasing the  extraction  percentage.  Little,  however,  w^ould  be 
gained  by  the  change,  as  the  capacity  of  the  Mill  would  still  be 
limited  by  the  capacity  of  the  Ore  Driers,  which  are  already 
being  run  to  their  limit.  The  Stetefeldt  Furnace,  with  a 
slightly  increased  draft,  could  probably  treat  1 2  5  tons  per  day. 
In  former  years,  w^hile  w  orking  decomposed  ore  from  the  upper 
levels  of  the  Daly  Mine,  which  crushed  very  easily,  as  high  as 
95  tons  per  day  have  been  roasted. 

The  comparison  of  fuel  is  between  wood  at  the  Ontario 
and  coal  at  the  Marsac.  While  w^ood  was  used  at  the  Marsac 
the  amount  consumed  was  about  .114  cords  as  against  .153  cords 
at  the  Ontario. 

The  temperatures  represent  that  in  the  amalgamation  pans 
and  that  of  the  solution  running  out  of  the  ore  vats.  Of  course 
the  amount  of  water  to  be  heated  for  amalgamation  is  much  less 
than  that  of  the  solutions  for  leaching.  It  is  not  always 
necessary,  how  ever,  to  heat  the  leaching  solutions,  but  as  warm 
solutions  filter  more  rapidly  than  cold,  where  the  leaching  rate 
is  slow,  or  vat  capacity  insufiicient,  the  using  of  warm  solution 
permits  of  increased  volume.  The  rates  of  leaching  cold  and 
warm  solutions,  at  Marsac,  is  as  two  and  one-half  to  three. 


10 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS. 


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THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS. 


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12  THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS. 

The  chemicals  and  quicksilver  represent  the  cost  of  what 
is  actually  in  use  at  any  given  time,  but  does  not  include  the 
supply  in  store.  For  the  Ontario  the  amount,  ;^956o,  is  the 
actual  value  of  the  quicksilver  in  circulation;  and  for  the  Mar- 
sac,  ;^385  is  the  actual  value  of  the  hyposulphite,  bluestone, 
caustic  soda,  sulphur  and  soda  ash  in  the  leaching  and  precipi- 
tating solutions. 

The  following  table  gives  the  per  cent,  of  salt  used,  and 
the  extraction  of  silver  at  the  Ontario  and  Marsac  Mills,  by 
months,  for  1892,  up  to  December  first,  the  fineness  of  crushing 
being  the  same,  and  other  statistics  approximately  the  same,  as 
given  in  Tables  7  and  8. 

The  word  "extraction,"  as  employed  in  connection  with 
the  Russell  Process  means  "  apparent  extraction  "  from  the  ma- 
terial charged  to  the  leaching  vats,  unless  it  is  stated  to  be 
' '  actual. "  In  calculating  ' '  apparent  extraction  "  only  the  values 
per  ton  of  ore  and  tailings,  and  the  per  cent,  of  soluble  salts  in 
the  ore,  need  be  obtained;  while  for  determining  "actual  ex- 
traction" the  total  value  of  material  treated,  and  the  "clean  up," 
must  be  known.  With  the  term  ' '  actual  extraction, "  are  used 
also  the  expressions  "from  raw  ore,"  or  "from  roasted  ore," 
and  to  be  accurate  it  must  also  be  stated  whether  the  extractions 
are  based  on  the  ' '  apparent  values  "  or  on  the  ' '  exact  values, " 
the  latter  value  including  the  5  to  i  5  per  cent,  of  silver  and  gold 
which  may  enter  the  slag  and  cupel  in  assaying  ores  and  tailings. 
Unless  otherwise  stated  "apparent  values"  are  understood. 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS, 


13 


TABL.I:  IX. 

PER  CENT.  OF  SALT  USED  AND  MILL  RESULTS. 

1892. 


Month. 


January 

February. . . 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September. 

October 

November. 


Average 


Per  Cent,  of  Salt  Used. 

Extraction  of  Silver. 

Ontario. 

Marsac. 

Ontario. 

Marsac. 

Per  Cent. 

Per  Cent. 

Per  cent. 

Per  Cent. 
91.5  . 

13.9 

10.0 

89.9 

13.2 

9.5 

92.0         1         92.7 

13.8 

9.5 

92.4                  91.6 

13.9 

9.5 

92.5                 92.8 

13.7 

10.1 

89.5                 92.3 

15.2 

9.4 

90.2                  88.1 

14.6 

8.9 

88.5                 92.2 

14.0 

9.3 

90.4                  92.5 

13.8 

8.9 

91.2                  92.5 

15.0 

9.6 

90.4                  92.8 

15.0 

9.4 

91.5        j         92.4 

14.2 

9.5 

90.8         1         91.9 

When  red  hot  ore  is  ' '  wet  down  "  the  steam  produced  causes 
a  reduction  of  some  of  the  silver  compounds  to  a  state  in  which 
they  are  not  readily  soluble  in  the  leaching  solutions. 

This  injurious  effect  is  greater  on  some  ores  than  on  others, 
and  on  ore  from  the  same  mine  is  greater  in  proportion  'to  its 
baseness. 

The  mill  extraction  at  the  Marsac  would  be  about  2  per 
cent,  higher,  or  94  per  cent,  if  the  ore  were  charged  dry  and 
cool  to  the  ore  vats,  instead  of  ' '  wetting  it  down  "  on  the  cool- 
ing floor  Avhile  red  hot,  as  is  now  done.  This  would  require 
an  enlargement  of  the  present  cooling  floor,  and  an  additional 
expense  of  about  thirteen  cents  per  ton  in  handling  the  ore. 
For  instance,  at  the  Aspen  Mill,  which  has  a  large  cooling  floor 
and  where  the  roasted  ore  is  always  charged  dry  and  cool  to  the 
ore  vats,  the  total  cooling  floor  expenses,  from  the  time  the  red 
hot  ore  is  dumped  on  the  floor  up  to  and  including  the  charg- 
ing of  the  ore  to  the  leaching  vats,  are  49  cents.  The  cor- 
responding expenses  at  the  Marsac  are  36  cents  per  ton. 

The  results  given  in  the  following  table  illustrate  the  in- 
jurious effect  of  wetting  down  base  ore,  the  ore  treated  being 
composed  of  milling  and  shipping  ore  in  the  proportion  pro- 
duced at  the  mine. 


14 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS. 


TABLE  X. 

EFFECTS  OF  "WETTING  DOWN,"  WHILE  RED  HOT, 
BASE  ONTARIO  ORE. 


Me&h  of 
Screen  on 
Battery. 

Per  cent,  of 

Salt  used  in 

Roasting. 

Silver, 

Value  of  Raw 

Ore  per  ton. 

Per  cent. 

Extraction  by 

Leaching  in  Mill. 

Mesh. 

Per  cent. 

Ozs. 

Per  cent. 

30 
30 
30 
30 
30 
30 
30 

! 

tH 

104.0 

85.2 

80.8 

87.3 

108.0 

101.0 

107.0 

82.6 
81.3 

78.8 
84.0 
87.0 
87.2 
88.4 

30 

15-17 

96.3 

84.2 

The  mill  extractions  on  charges  of  the  same  kind  of  ore  not 
wet  down,  l)ut  charged  dry  and  cool  to  the  ore  vats  were  from 
92  to  93  per  cent. 

•At  Aspen  the  ayerage  assay  office  extractions  from  roasted 
ore  not  wet  down  while  hot  on  cooling  floor  are  8 1 .4  per  cent, 
by  the  old  leaching  process,  and  92.5  per  cent,  by  the  Russell 
Process.  If  the  same  ore  is  wet  down  on  the  cooling  floor  while 
hot  the  above  results  become  about  66.0  per  cent,  and  87.0  per 
cent,  respectively,  or  in  other  words,  they  are  lowered  i  5  and 
5  per  cent. 

The  results  given  in  the  following  table  are  an  illustration 
of  what  can  be  done  on  Ontario  ore  (or  on  Marsac)  by  the  Rus- 
sell Process,  if  the  ore  is  7tol  wet  down  while  red  hot,  but 
charged  dry  and  cool  to  the  ore  vats,  as  is  done  at  Aspen. 
These  mill  runs,  on  which  statistics  are  given  in  Table  XI,  were 
made  at  the  Ontario  Mill,  the  ore  being  roasted  in  the  Stetefeldt 
Furnace  and  leached  in  the  experimental  plant  at  that  mill. 
The  ore  treated  in  the  first  three  runs  (26,  20  and  16  mesh 
screens),  was  composed  of  a  mixture  of  shipping  and  milling 
ore,  or  an  fiverage  of  all  the  ore  produced  by  the  Ontario  Mine. 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS. 


15 


The  analysis  of  this  ore  was  approximately  as  follow\s : 

STATEMENT  G. 

Silica ^ 55.21  Per  Cent, 

Alumina 13.14  " 

Zinc 9.60  " 

Lead 6.07 

Sulphur 7.68  " 

Iron ; 2.77  " 

Copper 1.41  " 

Antimony 1.20  " 

Manganese 0.45  '* 

Arsenic 0.20  " 

TABL,i:  XI. 

MILL  RUNS  BY  RUSSELL  PROCESS  ON  ONTARIO  ORE. 
Charged  Dry  and  Cool  to  Leaching  Vats. 


Mesh  of 
Screen 
and  size 
of  Wire 
used  on 
Battery. 

Tons 
Crush d 
in  24 
hours 
per 
Stamp 

Tons 
Roast'd 
per  day 
by  one 
furn'ce 

Cords 
of 

Wood 
used  in 
furn'ce 
per  ton 

Horse 
Power 
req'rd 

for 
furn'ce 

Labor  per 
ton  includ- 
ing the 
Roasting 
and  Piling 
on  the 
Cooling 
Floor. 

Per 
cent. 

of 
Salt. 

Per  cent. 

Mill 

Extraction 

by 
Amalgama- 
tion. 

Per  cent. 

Mill 

Extraction 

by 

Russell 

Process. 

26  Mesh 
32  Wire 

2 

40 

I 

i 

56  cts. 

16 

89.2 

93.6 

20  Mesh 
28  Wire 

21 

55 

1-10 

i 

48     " 

12} 

Too 
coarse 

for 

Amalga- 
mation. 

97.0 

16  Mesh 
26  Wire 

3i 

70 

1-12 

3-5 

41     " 

12 

97.1 

10  Mesh 
23  Wire 

^ 

94 

1-16 

1 

34     " 

14 

93,4 

6  Mesh 
20  Wire 

Qh 

126 

1-20 

M 

26     " 

8 

91.9 

Note, — Average  results  by  Amalgamation  at  Ontario,  with  26  mesh 
screen,  are  91.0  per  cent. 

The  Ontario  now  mills,  on  an  average  (for  365  days  per 
year),  70.3  tons,  of  the  analysis  given  at  the  beginning  of  this 
article,  and,  for  lack  of  milling  capacity,  ships  to  the  smelters 
3 I.I  tons,  averaging,  so  far,  for  1892,  14.94  per  cent.  Lead 
and  6.53  per  cent.  Zinc.  But  the  average  of  the  two,  or  the 
total  product  of  the  mine,  contains  5.93  per  cent.  Zinc  and  5.83 
per  cent.  Lead,  or  3.67  per  cent,  less  Zinc  and  j^  of  i  per  cent, 
less  Lead  than  previously  to  1 884,  when  all  the  ore  was  milled. 


1() 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS. 


The  mill  results  at  that  time  by  the  Russell  Process  were  as 
given  in  Table  XI,  with  26,  20  and  16  mesh  screens,  and  16; 
1 2  J^  and  1 2  per  cent,  sa^,  the  roasted  ore  being  charged  dry 
and  cool  to  the  ore  vats.  To  mill  the  100  tons,  present  total 
product  of  the  Ontario,  instead  of  milling  70  and  shipping  30, 
would  result  in  largely  increased  profits  to  the  Company. 

The  value  of  gold  in  the  ore  is  so  small  that  the  amount 
treated  and  extracted  is  not  figured  up  until  the  end  of  the  year, 
and  so  cannot  yet  be  given  for  1892. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  for  1 89 1 : 


TABL,E  XII. 

ACTUAL  EXTRACTION  OF  GOLD. 
1891. 
(1  oz.  gold=$20.67.) 


(Raw  Ore.) 


Mill. 

Gold  Value 

per  Ton  of 

Ore. 

Total  Gold 

in  Ore 
for  Year. 

Actual  Gold 

in 

Product. 

Per  Cent. 

Extraction 

of  Gold. 

Amount 
Realized 
on  Gold. 

$ 

$ 

$ 

Per  Cent. 

$ 

Ontario 
Marsac 

0.91 
0.91 

23,341.50 
22,034.74 

10,99L90 
15,727.59 

47.09 
71.37 

0.0 
15,182.20 

The  amount  and  cost  of  chemicals  per  ton  of  ore  at  the 
Marsac  for  1891  is  as  follows,  the  prices  given  being  the  average 
cost  laid  down  at  the  mill : 

STATEMENT  H. 
LIXIVIATION    DEPARTMENT. 

Bluestone 3.24  lbs.  @  .0641  =  ^0.2076 

Hyposulphite  of  Soda 6.32  lbs.   @  .0362=    0.2287 

Caustic  Soda 4.95  lbs.  @  .0555=    0.2747 

Sulphur 3.32  lbs.   @  .0257=    0.0853 

Soda  Ash 0.92  lbs.   @  .0317=    0.0292 

18.75   lbs.   @  .0440       $0.8255 

BATTERY. 

Sulphur,  to  rav,r  ore 2.89  lbs.   @    .0257  =  $A 0743 

Total  Chemicals  per  Ton 21.64  lbs.   @   .0416  =  |0.8998 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS.  IT 

The  sulphur  to  battery  is  amount  added  to  raw  ore  to 
assist  in  roasting.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  Daly  ore 
carries  only  one-third  the  amount  of  sulphur  contained  in  On- 
tario ore. 

The  following  figures  give  the  expenses  at  Marsac  Mill, 
(classified  under  five  heads)  from  time  the  ore  is  piled  on  the  cool- 
ing floor  after  roasting,  until  the  sulphide  product  is  dried  and 
ready  for  shipment,  or  treatment  in  the  Marsac  Refinery. 

These  figures  include  the  transferring  of  the  ore  from  the 
cooling  floor  to  the  ore  vats. 

STATEMENT  I. 

COST    OF    LIXIVIATING    DEPARTMENT. 

RUSSELL   PROCESS. 

MARSAC    MILL. 

Labor. 

1    Foreman,     @  |5.00 $  5.00 

3    Leachers,     @    4,00 12.00 

8   Shovelers,    @    3.00 24.00 

1    Pressman,   @    3.50 3.60 

lRoustabout^@   3.00 1.50 

$46.00 
365  days  @  $46.00=$1 6,790. 00  -^-  24,214  tons=      $  0.6934 

Chemicals. 

Hyposulphite 152,808  lbs.  @  .0362  ==  $5,531.64 

Bluestone 78,569  lbs.  @  .0641=    5,036.27 

Caustic 119,741  lbs.  @  .0555=    6,645.62 

Sulphur 80,486  lbs.  @  .0257=    2,068.49 

Soda  Ash 22,309  lbs.  @  .0317=      707.19 

453,913  lbs.  @  .0440     $19,989.21 
$19,989.21  ~  24,214  tons  =  $  0.8255 

Repairs. 

1  Machinist @  $4.00 

Material  and  Supplies @  2.50 

$6.50 
$6.50  X  365  days  =  $2,372.50  ~-  24,214  tons  =  $  0.0979 

Power,  Steam,  Etc, 

Total  cost  for  mill,  labor,  fuel,  supplies  and  all  repairs  $12,559.55 


18  THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS. 

Proportions  by  Actual  Test. 

Drying,  Crushing  and  Roasting \ 

Leaching  Department \ 

$12,559.65  -^  4  =  $3,139.89-^  24,214  tons  =        %  0.1297 

Assay  Office. 

Labor,  fuel  and  supplies,  actual $3,013.23 

Leaching  Department,  proportion  l 2,008.82 

$2,008.82  -^-  24,214  tons  =        ,  $  0.0830 

Total  cost  per  ton  of  Ore,  ...  $  1.8295 

SUMMARY. 

The  following  table  gives  a  summary  of  the  comparisons 

between  the  Ontario  and  Marsac  Mill  expenses  and  extractions, 

for  1 89 1. 

NOTE — The  "Product  Expense"  given  below,  while  apparently 
in  favor  of  Ontario,  is,  in  reality,  slightly  in  favor  of  Marsac,  as  the 
product  of  the  latter  mill  happened  to  be  sold  at  times  when  silver 
averaged  lower  in  price  than  when  Ontario  product  was  disposed  of. 

STATEMENT  J. 
COMPARISON  OF  ONTARIO  AND  MARSAC 

I'rom  Compayties'  Annual  Report. 

MILL    EXPENSES. 

Cost  per 

Ontario— Amalgamation.  ton  Ol  Ore. 

Milling $8.93 

Product  Expense 1.23 

$10.16 
Marsac — Russell  Process. 

Milling $6.27 

Product  Expense 1.23] 

$7.50i 

Total  difference  in  Mill  expenses $2. 65 J 

ACTUAL    EXTRACTION    OF    SILVER.       (rAW    ORE  ) 

Ontario.    Actual  Mill  Extraction 91.0 

Marsac.     Actual  Mill  Extraction 91.57 

Difference  in  Mill  Extraction 0.57% 

Difference  in  Mill  Extraction  for  39.10  ozs.  ore,  $0.21i 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS.  ■  '19 

ACTUAL    EXTRACTION    OF    GOLD.       (rAW    ORE.) 
(See  Table  XII.) 

Ontario.    Mill  Extraction,  Gold  Realized |0.0 

Mars  AC.    Mill  Extraction,  Gold  Realized  per  ton  0.63^ 

Difference  per  ton  in  favor  of  Marsac fO.63^ 


Total  net  difference  per  ton  in  favor  of  Marsac  $3. 50 J 

« 

RECAPITULATION.    (Ontario  Tonnage.) 

25^650  tons  of  ore  milled  in  1891,  at  difference 
of  $3.50|  per  ton  (or  saving  by  Marsac 
over  Ontario,  per  year) $91,057.09 

In  the  case  of  most  ores,  a  comparison  as  to  extraction, 
etc.,  between  amalgamation  and  the  Russell  Process  would 
probably  be  much  more  in  favor  of  the  latter,  as  there  are  but 
few  mills  in  which  as  good  work  is  done  as  at  the  Ontario. 
Against  the  twenty-two  points  of  comparison  given  below,  amal- 
gamation exceeds  the  Russell  Process  in  one  point  only,  viz : 
Fineness  of  product  in  silver  (Table  III).  Although  for  this 
year  (1892)  even  this  one  point  will  be  in  favor  of  Lixiviation, 
the  product  now  being  refined  at  the  mill,  while  in  1893  the 
product  will  be  both  refined  and  ' '  parted. " 

The  Russell  Process  has  the  advantage  over  amalgamation 
in  the  following  twenty-two  points,  the  difference  (omitting  cost 
of  plant)  amounting  to  over  ;^3.oo  per  ton  of  ore. 

I . — -Coarseness  of  crushing.  (Tables  i ,  7  and  11.) 

2. — Percentage  of  salt  used. 

3. — Fuel  consumed.  , 

4. — Capacity  of  roasting  furnace. 

5. — Weight  of  charges. 

6. — ^Water  used. 

7. — Labor. 

8. — Power. 

9. — Machinery  expense.  ' 
I  o. — Temperatures. 
1 1 . — Iron. 
12. — Chemicals  per  ton.   . 


(      " 

7,  9  and  II.) 

(      " 

7  and  II.) 

(       " 

7  and  II.) 

(Table 

8.) 

(     " 

50 

(Statement  A.) 

(Table 

5-) 

(     " 

50 

(     " 

8.) 

(     " 

50 

i           41 

50 

20 


THE    RUSSELL    PROCESS. 


(Table    8.) 
Extraction  of  silver.  (Tables  8,  g  and 

— Extraction  of  gold.  (Table    I2.) 

— Less  copper— baseness  of  product.  (    ' '      2. ) 


13. — Chemicals  in  use. 

14 
15 
16 

17 

I 

20 
21 

22 


-Cost  of  marketing  silver.  (      "      3.) 

. — Cost  of  marketing  gold.  (Tables  4  and  12.) 

-Fineness  of  product  in  gold.         (Table  4.) 
-Total  cost  of  treatment.  (Statement  J. ) 

. — Net  profits  per  ton.  (Statement  J. ) 

-Less  cost  of  plant.  (Statement  A.) 

Or  the  comparison  may  be  stated  as  follows,  using  Marsac 
figures  as  a  basis: 

To  treat  about  the  same  number  of  tons  of  ore  per  day,  of 
approximately  the  same  composition  as  at  the  Marsac,  the  On- 
tario (amalgamation)  requires  45  per  cent,  more  power,  39  per 
cent,  more  labor,  30  per  cent,  more  stamps,  twice  the  number 
of  furnaces,  48  per  cent,  more  salt,  and  40  per  cent,  greater  cost 
of  chemicals,  and  yet  yields  a  less  per  cent,  both  of  gold  and 
silver  than  the  Marsac  (Russell  Process). 

Note. — The  Ontario  Company  are  now  erecting  a  Russell  Process 
Leaching  Plant,  of  200  tons  daily  capacity,  for  the  treatment  of  old 
tailings  which  have  been  produced  from  their  mill  by  amalgamation  in 
former  years. 

These  tailings  will  be  transferred  directly  from  the  "pits"  to  the 
leaching  vats  and  leached  without  any  drying,  crushing,  roasting  or 
other  preliminary  treatment.  The  actual  extraction  from  these  tailings 
by  the  Russell  Process  averages  36  per  cent,  of  the  Silver  and  64  per 
cent,  of  the  Gold,  at  a  total  expense  of  fl.lG,  including  hauling,  loading 
and  treatment. 

The  Ontario  Company  are  also  proposing  to  erect  a  Rus- 
sell Process  Leaching  department  to  replace  their  present  amalgamat- 
ing plant,  which  will  be  discarded. 

All  crushing  and  roasting  will  be  done  in  the  present  mill,  the 
roasted  ore  being  thence  transferred  to  the  leaching  vats,  instead  of  to 
the  amalgamating  pans  as  formerly. 

The  entire  product  of  the  Ontario  Mine,  averaging  70  tons  milling 
and  31  tons  smelting  ore,  per  day,  will  then  be  treated  by  the  Russell 
Process,  in  the  new  plant  which  will  have  a  capacity  of  100  to  110  tons 
of  ore  per  day. 

The  total  cost  of  the  whole  300-ton  plant  is  estimated  at  $75,000, 
exclusive  of  grading. 


